186 MA.LTING 



mellowing is thereby somewhat encouraged, especially so if the season has been a 

 very dry one, for the barley is likely to fie intractable ; it is advisable then to let it 

 remain in heap for some "weeks with that purpose. 



But if on putting the hand into the sacks the feeling of sharpness and briskness is 

 wanting, too much moisture may be suspected: it should then remain in dry sacks, 

 or, if thought requisite, should be dried with a slow fire upon the kiln and turned 

 frequently, after which it should be thoroughly cooled, and thrown into heap to 

 mellow. 



Whenever practicable, samples differing from each other should never be mixed be- 

 fore malting, but when unavoidable only such barleys should be mixed as are of the 

 same weight per imperial bushel, the same in character and condition, and from 

 similar districts, otherwise there will be a harassing irregularity iipon the floor. And 

 now before commencing operations, perhaps a word or two about the amount of work 

 a man should do would not be out of place. 



Previous to the operation of steeping, it will be found most profitable that the 

 barley should be very thoroughly cleansed : all dirt, earth, stones, light grains, 

 and small ones, should be carefully screened and swam out of it (for it is a 

 waste to pay duty and wages for such things, and what is of more consequence, 

 they tend to injure the quality of the malt while on the floors), and the steep com- 

 mences. 



It is a good arrangement to have at the overflow-end of the cistern a sieve or wire 

 trough placed a few inches below the overflow on the outside of the cistern, so that 

 the surplus water shall easily float away the light grains from the surface as they 

 rise ; there they will collect, and may eventually be taken away, dried on the kiln, and 

 used for feeding purposes. The draining ability of the cistern should be as ample and 

 expeditious as possible, and the water-supply should be equally good ; some maltsters 

 with commendable prudence provide a sort of shower-bath arrangement over their 

 cisterns in place of the water-tap. 



The steeping is performed in large cisterns made of wood or stone, which being 

 filled with clear water up to a certain height, a quantity of barley is shot into them, 

 and well stirred about with rakes. 



The good grain is heavy and subsides ; the lighter grains, which float on the surface, 

 are the damaged ones, and should be skimmed off, for they would injure the quality of 

 the malt and the flavour of the beer made with it. They seldom amount to more than 

 2 per cent. 



More barley is successively emptied into the steep-cistern, till the water stands only 

 a few inches, about five, above its surface ; when this is levelled very carefully, and 

 every light seed is removed. 



The steep lasts from 40 to 84 hours, according to the circumstances of the season, 

 condition, and weight per imperial bushel ; new barley inquiring a. longer period than 

 old, and big requiring much less time than barley. 



In England it is the common practice, in order to escape as much as possible the 

 excise duty, to allow the barley as a rule only 50 hours, but this is not sufficient for 

 heavy or strong barleys: 60, 72, or even 84 hours will be found much more advan- 

 tageous to the saccharific and friable qualities of the malt produced, and where the 

 maltster is also the brewer it will well repay him the little extra excise duty he may 

 pay on account of it, and the loss by solution in the steep-water will be found alto- 

 gether inconsiderable. The Munich maltsters usually allow 96 hours, and take for 

 their criterion that the pip shall have swollen almost to bursting, before the steeping 

 is considered sufficient. 



During this steep, carbonic acid is evolved from the grains, and combines with 

 the water, which at the same time acquires a yellowish tinge and a strawy smell, 

 from dissolving some of the extractive matter of the barley husks. The grain im- 

 bibes about one-half of its weight of water and increases in size by about one-fifth. 

 By losing this extract the husk becomes about one-seventieth lighter in weight, and 

 paler in colour. 



The duration of the steep depends in some measure iipon the temperaturo and 

 state of humidity of the atmosphere, and the temperature and constitution of the 

 water, and is the shorter the warmer the season. 



The water most suitable for malting purposes is most certainly fresh spring-water 

 from deep sources, at the temperature of about 52 Fahr. ; this is generally obtainable 

 in England ; surface- water is not estimable, first, on account of its variable tempera- 

 ture, secondly, because it contains a variable amount of organic matter, and thirdly, 

 because its solvent power is greater ; whereas tho salts of lime held in solution by 

 nearly all spring-waters have a very beneficial effect upon the barley, as to some 

 extent they neutralise the acid tendency, and must or mould. 



Steeping has for its object, to expand tho farina of tho barley with humidity, and 



